One More Night
by DrunknMunky85
Summary: Love has a way of bring two people back together. After spending the night pouring her heart out to a complete stranger, Hermione Granger receives an unexpected visitor. Sequel to One Night.


Hi all. Welcome to the sequel of One Night. The response for that was amazing. Thank you for all the kind words and positive reviews. You inspired this.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to my beta kawagirl1993 for doing a wonderful job on this. She will also be taking on the monstrous task of editing FoL very soon.

All the Harry Potter world and chatacters belong to J.K Rowling.

I hope you all enjoy...

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As Hermione Granger walked along the street towards her small flat above the shop on the corner, her mind was lost in thought. Nothing important or spectacular, but she was thinking what she needed to buy to make the lasagna she'd been craving all day. Had her mind been more focused on her journey, she would have noticed several strange things. Firstly, the usually busy street was practically empty and quiet. Secondly, the shutters were down on the shop she had intended to visit, and thirdly, probably most important, was the little old lady tottering along just in front of her at a very slow pace.

She dug in her bag for her purse and looked down briefly to aid her search. She knocked into something, forcing her to take a couple of steps back. She was about to yell a few choice words at who or what had hit her, but stopped herself when she noticed a crumpled heap on the floor at her feet.

"Oh my god. Are you alright? I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there," she rushed over and fussed as she knelt next to the woman. "Are you hurt?" she asked, trying to check for obvious injuries. But there was no blood, no moans of pain, nothing. In fact, the woman wasn't moving at all. "Hello?" Hermione shook the woman's arm gently, hoping to get some type of reaction. "Bollocks." Thrusting a hand into her bag, she rumaged around for her mobile. The ambulance service would have more luck rousing and assesing her, they were better qualified. God knows if the woman was having a heart attack or something. When her hand didn't find the object, she tipped the contents onto the floor. Her phone wasn't there. She could have sworn she'd picked it up this morning. Looking around, she quickly realised that there was no one else around to help. She contemplated running up to her flat to use the landline, but quickly dismissed the idea. What if something worse happened to the old dear? A seizure or someone robbing her while she laid helpless and unconscious. She lifted the flap at the bottom of her bag to reveal a hollowed out space. Inside, the magical piece of wood she hadn't used in years. Her hand shook as she reached for her wand. Tingles spread through her fingers and up her arm the moment she touched it.

Her heart pounded in her chest as if she'd just sprinted around the block. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she grabbed the old woman's arm gently. She looked around one more time before closing her eyes and concentrating on her living room. With a sickening twist and a wrench behind her belly button, both women were transported inside the young woman's flat.

She gingerly set the old woman down on the sofa, making sure she wasn't going to topple off before grabbing the phone. Pressing the receiver to her ear, she realised the line was dead. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered under her breath. Walking back to the couch, she stared at the stranger, at a loss. There were no public phone booths in her area and the one down the road had been vandalised so it was out of use. She had no neighbours and the shop was shut.

Making a decision, she grabbed her bag and held the woman's arm. Before she could disapparate, the woman groaned. "Hey, are you ok?" Hermione quickly hid the wand under the cushion before the other woman could see it.

"W..what happened?" the feeble old woman croaked.

"You.. I mean, I, bumped into you and, I dont know, I guess you collapsed. I was about to take you to the hospital," the girl replied, again looking over the woman to check for injuries.

"No need dear. I'm just fine. Nothing a good cup of tea wouldn't fix." The woman was surprisingly cheerful, considering she had been passed out for so long.

"Um, I think it might be best if we get you to the hospital. You know, just in case.."

"Oh tosh." She waved her hand dismissively at Hermione and smiled. "I'm made of stronger stuff, my girl."

"I.. Ok," she said, defeated. She knew from experience not to argue with her elders. The best she could do was keep an eye on her for a while. "Milk in your tea?" Hermione shook her head at the woman. What a strange lady, she tought. She prepared the drinks and sat in the chair opposite. "Here you go." She passed it over and the woman smiled warmly at her. Her eyes startled the girl. The were dark as night. Almost black. She had only seen eyes like those on one other person. Even them she hadn't seen in over a year. The old lady looked to be in her mid to late seventies. Dull grey hair, wrinkles and sagging skin around her face and neck. Her fingers were long and gnarled like branches on a withered old tree. Her nails long, pointed and discolored. Her clothes were typical for a woman of her age. A long, dull skirt, cardigan and coat.

"Thank you, Hermione."

"How did you know my name?" she gasped, almost dropping her drink.

The old woman pointed at her chest and smiled.

"Name badge. Of course." The girl rolled her eyes. She knew she was being silly. It had been over three months since she'd seen anyone magical around, looking for her. The trail went cold, they left. Besides, this was a kindly old lady. She certainly didn't seem or look magical in any way. But Hermione knew better than to judge a book by its cover. "Is there someone you would like me to call? a friend? Relative?" she asked, hoping to pass care of the woman to someone who knew her.

"Oh, no, dear. I shall be fine soon," she replied, taking a sip of the hot drink.

"Do you live around here?"

"No. I was visiting a..friend. They weren't in. I think I got lost." The poor woman looked so crestfallen and lonely.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked.

"Betty." She offered no second name or other information that could help Hermione.

"Would you like me to take you to your friend's house? or call them?" she offered.

"No, dearie. I'll be out of your hair as soon as I feel better," she said, relaxing back into the chair and closing her eyes. "I have a feeling they didn't want to see me anyway," she said sadly.

"Why would they? Did they even know you were going?" she couldn't help feeling sorry for the woman. There was a sadness about her, a loneliness that Hermione couldn't help relating to.

"No. I was hoping to keep it a surprise. But.. Ah well. Never mind. I should be getting on now." She pushed herself forward and made to stand.

Hermione frowned. She couldn't leave the woman to travel alone. "Why don't you stay for supper? Then I'll get you a cab to take you home."

"Oh, dear. Only if you're sure. I wouldn't want to impose." The old lady smiled and sat back.

"It's chicken," she said, disappointed that she wouldn't be eating the lasagna she'd craved.

"My favorite."

"So what happened after your husband passed away?" Hermione asked before taking a mouthful of salad. Betty had chatted away throughout the meal. Telling the younger woman about her life. Traveling, siblings. But oddly, nothing revealing. She never mentioned names or specific dates.

"We've talked about me all night. Tell me about you." Betty pushed her plate away and sipped at her wine.

"I'm not terribly interesting. I'd bore you to death, I'm afraid," Hermione replied. She had already spent more time with the stranger than she had with anyone in the last four years. She hadn't realised just how lonely she had become. Talking with the woman felt natural..normal. For the briefest of moments, she missed her old life. Her friends. Her lovers. She shook her head. Thinking of the women she had once been with, would only cause the ache in her chest to worsen. They, along with everyone else, were best forgotten.

"Everyone has an interesting story, dear. Tell me, have you always lived here? What school did you go to?" the old woman asked innocently. She hd no idea the pain she was causing the girl. Everything she had worked so hard to bury, to forget, was being pulled back to the surface.

"I..no. I lived in Scotland for a while. I went to boarding school there. There was an.. An accident. I lost a lot of friends," she replied quietly, not meeting the woman's eyes. Hermione had no idea why she felt compelled to tell this woman any of this, she just did.

"I see. That's why there's such sadness in your eyes," Betty said, gently patting Hermione's hand. "What about parents, boyfriends?" she asked, wondering if it would cheer the young girl up.

"My parents died years ago. And no, there's no boyfriends." The brunette brushed a tear from her cheek and tried to smile. "There's been a couple of special girlfriends, though," she said, sure it would scare the woman into silence. Hermione knew how old fashioned the older generation could be. Betty however, seemed to be the exception.

"Tell me about them."

"They were..." she sighed, this was what she had avoided for the longest time. Now, everything came flooding back to her. Every smile. Every conversation. Every kiss, touch.

"It's ok, dear. I've had my share of heartache caused by women. It helps to talk about it." The kind, old lady smiled warmly. There was something so comforting about her. Hermione wasn't shocked to hear that she had been with women. It seemed natural to her, so no questions were asked.

"They were sisters." The girl looked at the woman, expecting to see revulsion and disgust. But Betty simply nodded. "They were complete opposites. The younger one, her name was Narcissa. She was beautiful, blonde, sweet, caring, affectionate. Gentle in almost every way. She was..the light in a room full of darkness. It was her who I fell for first. We had been friends, working on a project. For the longest time I kept my feelings hidden." Hermione smiled, remembering the late nights they had spent cooped up, researching and testing this and that. "Then her sister offered her help. At first, it was awkward. Tough at times. Bellatrix liked to be the center of attention. Always wanting Cissy to focus on her. Bella was darkness, seduction manifested in this stunning, powerful woman. She was intense. Hard to be around sometimes. But addictive. I didn't take me long to fall hard for her too. One night, we crossed a line, became more than friends, they more than siblings." Tears fell freely, but she wouldn't wipe them away. Betty ignored them and listened. "I have never felt more love and safety than when I was with them. Bella showed her softer side. The side that she reserved for people she loved. I knew from the moment I saw her that, one way or another, she'd be my undoing."

"How do you mean?"

"She was too..understanding. She forgave me for something I didn't deserve forgiveness for. She loved me beyond my faults and failures. Maybe it's because we were so alike, had similar experiences. It doesn't matter. And I couldn't hande it. I ran away."

"What would you not want forgiveness for?" The woman's voice sounded different, it shook like she was holding back her own tears.

"The accident at the school. It was mostly my fault. I'd been tasked with finding a solution to a problem. I couldn't. So many died," she sobbed. Faces raced through her mind. Fred, Ron, Nymph. Broken bodies strewn across the halls, blood slick under feet. She failed at strengthening the castle's defences, failed at developing an early warning system. The enemy had made it inside and it was her fault. "Bella and Cissy tried to help me, tried to fix me. But at the end, I was just another casualty beyond reach. They couldn't, their love was killing me." She broke down. Sobs racked through her and fat heavy tears splashed on the table cloth. Betty stood and guided the girl to the sofa. She held her gently, softly whispering calming and shushing noises. Stroking brown locks and soothingly rubbing a shoulder. Hermione fell asleep to the hum of a familiar tune.

When the girl woke, the sun had risen and her guest was gone. She lifted her head and looked around. Betty had definitely left. She wondered if she'd gotten home ok or to her friend's house. She sat up and sighed. It was probably for the best, the woman leaving without saying goodbye. Hermione would have been reluctant to. Already she was missing the stranger who sat and listened without judgement and false promises that everything was going to be ok. She appreciated what the old woman had done. For years the guilt and sorrow had eaten away at her soul. Finally having someone who didn't know her, didn't know about the war, the dark lord, hear about her wrong doing, her failure, felt almost good. She felt for the first time that she might be able to move on someday. Not yet, but someday.

She went about her day with nothing out of the ordinary happening. She went to work at the dingy bar where no one bothered her. Even her colleagues had learned to leave her alone. On the way home, she managed to pick up what she needed to make the lasagna. After dinner she sat and read for a while until her eyes began to shut and she went to bed.

She never heard the front door click open or the careful footsteps through the living room. She didn't stir when her bedroom door was pushed and access was gained by the unknown figure. She turned to lay on her back when the mattress dipped slightly, but settled again almost immediately. A hand slid under her pillow and removed a wand, placing it quietly on the floor. The figure lay beside the sleeping woman and watched as her eyes flicked back and forth through a dream.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," a voice whispered. "So sorry."

"Bella," the girl whimpered. The intruder stiffened. She hadn't meant to wake the girl. All she wanted was one last look before she was forced to stay away. But Hermione settled again. Just a dream.

"A dream of me." The woman smiled. She lay her head on the pillow next to Hermione's. The smell of her invading her senses. "I miss you," she said almost inaudible. Her pale hand gently sliding closer to the girl, not touching, just close enough to feel her warmth. "Cissy misses you too," she sighed. "I hear her crying for you sometimes." Her fingertips touched the bare skin of the girl's arm. "I've seen her stare at your picture for hours. Hoping one day you'll come back to her. To us." A single tear dripped from a dark eye. "I've always loved you."

"Bella," the girl sobbed sleepily, the dream distressing her, the woman's voice seeping in. "Bel.."

"Shhhhh. It's ok. Just a dream," the dark woman hushed. Carefully stroking the brown hair to sooth her. She stayed for as long as she dared, the small contact comforting her. "Goodbye, my sweet witch," her voice cracked. Tears clouded her vision. She leaned in and softly kissed the girl's temple. As she quietly moved to the door, a gentle voice stoped her.

"I've had this dream before." Hermione sat up. The dim moonlight reflecting off her eyes. "Sometimes it's you. Sometimes Cissy." Her silhouette shifted, her legs swung from the bed and she got to her feet. "Do you think the real you knows you visit me in my dreams?" she asked as she walked closer.

"Would you want her to?" Bella answered. She knew she should tell her she was awake, tell her this was real. But she couldn't bring herself to. She wanted the girl to speak freely.

"Yes and no," Hermione answered honestly. "I've hoped one day one of you will come rescue me from myself. Take me away from here. Hold me until my dying day." She smiled wistfully.

"I could. You know where to find me. I'd do it in a hearbeat," Bella answered, taking a step towards the woman.

Hermione laughed. "That's the opposite of being rescued, silly." Her face fell. "But you don't know where I am. Neither of you do."

"I could find you," the older witch offered. "I would."

"No. I'd only cause you more sorrow. It's better like this." She hung her head. "I can see you this way and know that I can still love you, without hurting you."

"Hermione.."

"Shhh. Let me enjoy my time with you, before I wake." She stepped into Bella's arms and laid her head on her chest. "This feels so real."

"Hermione. Look at me." Bella held the girl's shoulders and stepped back. "Look at me."

The girl looked up, into woman's eyes. "This is real, Hermione. I did find you."

"I wish it was," she replied, smiling.

"For Merlin's sake," the dark witch grumbled. "Lumos." light filled the room and Bella stared at the witch. "It's real," she said gently.

Hermione stood silently. Staring at the woman from her past. "How?" she stepped back. Fear and confusion in her eyes. "How are you here? How did you find me?" quickly backing away until the bed stood between her and Bellatrix.

"You brought me here." Bella took a step forward and raised her hands peacefully.

"What?! No. I would never...I've been careful. I.."

"Yesterday. You brought me here."

She thought about yesterday, about Betty. Everything suddenly clicked into place. The empty street, the closed store, her missing phone."You.. You tricked me!"

"I'm sorry. I had to see you one more time."

"You lied. You pretended to be a kindly old lady. You made me think I'd hurt you," she snapped, picking up a pillow and launching it at the other woman. "Oh my god," she gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. "The things we talked about. Everything I said..." Tears stung her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief.

"Hermione.."

"Those things were never meant for your ears. You were never supposed to hear.."

"I'm glad I did. At least now I can tell Cissy it wasn't her fault you left. All this time she's blamed herself. Now she'll have peace of mind, knowing it was my fault."

"Don't do that. Don't make me feel guilty over Cissy. I left because I chose to. Because I couldn't deal with..."

"Me," Bella finished for her.

"Stop it," she snapped again, marching around the bed to stand toe to toe with her past lover. "I left because I couldn't stand the idea of being forgiven when I couldn't forgive myself!" she yelled. "I couldn't look you in the eye knowing that you knew exactly what I was going through. You're the fucking reason I stayed so long. You're what kept me grounded. You're the bloody reason I woke up every fucking morning and faced the guilt, the shame. Your love and complete acceptance... I left because of me. Because I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't face how weak I am. I look at you and see a survivor. I look in the mirror and see a failure." By the time she was done, Hermione was panting.

Bella stood in shocked silence, she was at a loss. She did the only thing that seemed logical. She closed the small distance between them and kissed the girl.

For a split second, Hermione forgot why she shouldn't be doing this. For just a moment, she melted into the woman's arms and her lips responded hungrily. A groan vibrated through her, sending shivers down her spine. A hand grasped her hip, but before it could travel any further the brunette stepped back.

"No," she gasped.

"Hermione..."

"No, this can't happen."

"Why?" the dark woman asked quietly. "If I have to say goodbye to you, let me do it properly. Give me one more night, Hermione." Her eyes were soft as she pleaded, light sparkled off the black irises, making it look like unshed tears were waiting for permission to fall. "Let me say goodbye," she whispered before stepping forward and capturing the young woman's lips once more. She pushed her until the back of her knees hit the bed. She made fast work of the vest and shorts hermione wore, tossing them across the room before gently pressing her back onto the bed.

As much as she wanted to fight the feelings the older woman had caused, she couldn't. Hermione's body betrayed her, responding to the lips on her neck, the hand roughly massaging a breast while the other pressed at her hip. She buried her fingers in black curls and moaned when a hot mouth wrapped around her exposed nipple.

She felt nails scrape along the inside of her thighs, pushing her legs apart. Teeth attacked her stomach, followed by the soothing softness of a tongue.

"God, Bellatrix." The sound of her name whispered in such a way raised a groan of arousal from the dark haired witch. Hooking her fingers into the waist band of the girl's pants, she pulled them roughly from her body. She crawled up Hermione's body and found lips with her own and kissed the girl until neither could breathe. A slender finger stroked up a moist slit, flicking a sensitive clit.

"You want this?" she asked huskily against Hermione's mouth. Despite the question, she plunged two fingers deep into the girl, the heat so familiar it felt like home. The thought of losing this, losing her, broke her heart. She pushed the feeling aside and concentrated on memorizing everything.

"Yesssss," came the hissed answer. Fingers pumped hard into her. The brunette wanted more, wanted everything the woman had to offer. There would be time soon enough to let the woman go. But for now, she wanted it all. "Harder," she demanded through gritted teeth.

Bellatrix grunted with the effort, arm working furiously to bring the girl to the edge. Dropping to her knees, she spread the girl's folds and sucked her clit into her mouth.

Hermione bucked against her face, unable to control her body's reaction. She pulled at the woman's hair, pressing her closer to her center. She needed her closer, needed her deeper. "Fuck me hard, Bella," she growled.

Three fingers pushed into the dripping opening, pounding against flesh with each inward thrust, tongue twisting around and over her clit. She felt Hermione start to shake, heard the gasps and pants coming from above and she doubled her efforts, craving the taste of the brunette, needing to feel her fill her mouth. A flick of the tongue, a thrust of her hand and the girl was done. Sweet liquid flooded her mouth. She licked away every last drop, memorizing the taste and feel of her lost love.

Hermione caught her breath and looked at the woman before her. Beautiful in all her naked, vulnerable glory. The look on Bella's face was one of desperation and sorrow. "Come here," she whispered and held out her arms.

The dark witch climbed onto the bed and laid beside Hermione, resting her head on her chest. Tears filled her eyes as she listened to the thump and beat of the girl's heart. She wondered if hers would sound the same or if she would hear it shattering. All night was spent making love, touching, kissing. Saying goodbye.

When the early morning Sun started to spill through the window, Bella reluctantly got up and dressed. "Hermione.."

"Don't, Bella," she stopped her. She couldn't hear promises of love and protection. As much as she wanted the witch to rescue her, she knew she didn't deserve it. "Just go." The words were hard to say, but she forced them out.

As Bella walked to the door, Hermione stopped her again.

"Don't come looking for me again, Bella. I won't be here." The brunette had her back turned, unable to watch one of the only people she still loved, walk out of her life.

Bellatrix said nothing, just turned and left. Once outside, she turned her face up to the window she knew was the girl's bedroom. "I'll always love you, Hermione. I'll always find my way back to you."

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Hope you enjoyed this as much as the first.

Until next time my friends...


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